Thank you to Anna Batzeli for providing us with more fascinating online resources!
Building upon the previous post on online resources for maritime historians this article aims to highlight four shipwreck databases. These databases offer crucial information on various aspects of maritime history, including trade, navigation, naval warfare, underwater cultural heritage, and more. While this post focuses on four databases, it’s important to note that many additional databases and resources are available online for researchers to explore.
1. Wreck Site (https://www.wrecksite.eu/):
The wreck site includes information on 214,790 wrecks and 183,270 positions. It also provides access to 82,160 images and 2,701 maritime charts, as well as details on 422,380 people, and 37,030 ship owners and builders. Additionally, the site features several interesting thematic subpages, including “Wreck of the Day,” maritime flags, “Fish Families,” and “Fauna and Flora” (a subpage currently under development, which showcases typical fauna and flora found on wrecks). To navigate the wreck site databases, users must subscribe to the website, although the subscription is free of charge.
2. Ancient Shipwrecks Database (up to AD 1500) (https://oxrep.classics.ox.ac.uk/databases/shipwrecks_database/):
This open-access database catalogs ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean up to AD 1500. It builds on A.J. Parker’s Ancient Shipwrecks of the Mediterranean and the Roman Provinces (1992) and Julia Strauss’s Roman Cargoes (2007), with Strauss updating the database by reviewing relevant maritime archaeology literature published since 1992. The database includes confirmed shipwrecks, excluding those that were merely lost or discarded. It provides details on each wreck, such as site, name, location (if available), period, origin, destination, depths, and selected cargo. Clicking on a wreck’s name will lead to additional information on its cargo, hull remains, and ship equipment.
3. National Shipwreck Database of Sri Lanka (https://nsd.ccf.gov.lk/):
The National Shipwreck Database of Sri Lanka features information on 115 recorded shipwrecks, primarily documented by the Maritime Archaeology Unit of the Central Cultural Fund. Of these, 39 are historical wrecks, and 10 are protected sites. These wrecks span from the 2nd century BCE to modern times. The website includes several features, such as an interactive map, a timeline detailing the history of maritime archaeology in Sri Lanka, and a list of relevant publications in English.
4. Maritime Archaeology shipwreck database of the Western Australian Museum (https://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/wrecks):
The Maritime Archaeology shipwreck database provides detailed information on over 1,650 shipwrecks recorded by the Western Australian Museum. The database includes data across several categories, such as ship details, construction, loss information, museum references, and sources. Users can search for a specific wreck or browse an alphabetical listing of all shipwrecks. Additionally, the database features shortcuts to significant shipwrecks, categorized by region.
